It’s Christmastime in the quiet Los Angeles County city of Vista Beach, home of computer programmer and tole-painting enthusiast Aurora (Rory) Anderson. The magic of the season fills the air as residents enjoy school concerts, a pier lighting ceremony and the annual sand-snowman contest.During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Rory plans on painting ornaments to sell at the local craft fair and … and joining in on the holiday fun. But she finds the season anything but jolly after the house across the street is torn down, revealing a decades old crime. Past meets present when her father is implicated in the murder.Fearing for her father’s future, Rory launches her own investigation, intent on discovering the truth and clearing his name.
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Dollycas’s Thoughts
Christmas in California should be bliss for Rory Anderson but all the holiday magic is sucked out of the atmosphere when a skeleton is found on the property across the street from her house and another is found on the beach. It appears the deaths are connected and Rory’s father is right in the middle of it. Rory is bound and determined to show her father is not involved. Clearing his name means digging up his past which he has always painted with a pretty broad brush. She learns a lot about her parents but knows her father is no killer.
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This time Rory’s family, friends, and neighbors all get in on the investigation. There were a few funny moments as Rory and the rest of the nosy neighbors tried to see what the big discovery was on their street. When they found out it was a skeleton and again when the skeleton was identified the story took a more somber tone. The situation really tugged on this mother’s heartstrings.
Ms. Johnson has created a wonderful cast of characters. The recurring characters continue to grow while the new characters bring new energy to the story. I really enjoyed reading about how Rory’s parents met and their love story. Rory has the perfect job for an amateur sleuth, working from home, in charge of her own time, allowing her to drop everything at a moment’s notice to follow a lead.
The story was filled with twists and moved along nicely. I loved that the past and present were tied together in a top-notch mystery.
Celebrating Christmas without any snow would be hard for me but it was fun to read about all the festivities. The author does an excellent job of bringing the various scenes to life. The lighted trees lining the pier, the snowman contest on the beach and even the craft sale.
Ghosts of Painting Past is a great addition to this series. It checks all my cozy boxes and left me excited for the next book in the series.
The house across the street from Rory is being torn down, so she is trying to drown out the sound of construction vehicles with Christmas carols when the sound suddenly stops. The crew has found bones buried under a building in the backyard. It isn’t long before the police have been able to identify the bones, but their identity puts Rory’s father in the role of suspect. Rory tries to help out with a variety of holiday events planned in the community, including finishing up her own ornaments to sell at the craft fair despite what is happening in town, but when a new body turns up, the stakes are raised. Can she figure out what happened in the past and how that is impacting the present?
Mysteries that involve the past can be great when there is a compelling reason for the characters to care about it today. That’s definitely the case here. Rory has a couple of reasons to make sure this case is wrapped up in time for Christmas, and she gets plenty of clues and red herrings to keep her guessing. The pace is fast, and the climax answers all our questions. The series’ tone is a bit darker overall, and that’s the case here again as well, but we do have some Christmas fun to help lighten the mood. I really enjoyed the fact that this book is set in Southern California, so, while we get plenty of holiday spirit, we do it without snow. I could relate. The main characters continue to grow, and the new characters are just as strong. With Christmas fast approaching, now is the perfect time to pick up this book.
Ghosts of Painting Past by Sybil Johnson is book 5 in the Aurora Anderson Mystery series. This was the first one I have read but was able to get caught up quickly.
Rory is busy getting crafts ready to sell at the annual Christmas craft fair and finishing up the plans for the sand snowman contest when a skull is found on a neighbors property. When it’s identified as an old surfing buddy of her dad’s, he goes to the top of the lists of suspects. Then when a second body is found in the sand snowman that Rory and her dad had made for example all eyes remain on him. Rory knows in order to have a Merry Christmas she will have to clear her father and find out who the real killer is.
The story has likeable characters, romance and a great setting. There are twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end. I enjoyed reading about Christmas at the beach since I live in the Midwest.
It will have you wanting to go to a craft fair.
I was given an ARC for an honest review.
Ghosts of Painting Past is the first book I’ve read by this author and it definitely won’t be the last! It’s getting close to Christmas in the town of Vista Beach and Aurora Anderson is getting ready for the local craft fair. When the house across the street is torn down and a skeleton is found gossip runs rampant. When the identity is made known and Aurora’s father is being looked at as a suspect she starts her own investigation. The characters are well written and the mystery is written in a way that will have you turning the pages. Highly recommend!
This was my first book by Sybil Johnson and of the Aurora Anderson Mysteries. It will not be my last. You can paint me a fan. What a great holiday read. If you think you need snow and cold for a mystery or two at Christmas time then this story will change your mind. I enjoyed meeting the characters in this neighborhood. They were funny and warm and friendly. The plot kept me guessing right to the end. Great read.
Ghosts of Painting Past by Sybil Johnson is a marvelous mystery wrapped around a recently found skeleton and a recent murder in the beach resort town of Vista Beach.
Will Rory find out who is framing her father before it’s too late?
Rory Anderson
Rory is our sleuth, point of view character, computer programmer, and she is dating a local detective for the police force. Rory has helped the authorities in the past, but this time, her dad is the main suspect. So, she has to find out who is trying to cover up the 40+-year-old murder before her boyfriend arrests her dad. Rory investigates with the help of her best friend Liz and two of her elderly neighbors. Things keep her busy throughout the book, but with a little luck, the killer is dropped in her lap.
I liked Rory’s personality and how she handles certain situations during the story. Also, her friendship with Liz is nice. They really have each other’s back. I didn’t find much that I don’t like about Rory. I loved all of the characters.
Mystery and Story
The mystery is well put together. The clues were laid out perfectly with a few red herrings. I enjoyed the old case parts as well as the more recent additions.
I think my favorite part of the book is where Rory, Liz, and Rory’s parents are part of the town’s celebrations. They make time to help others, even while they are looking for clues.
Five Stars
I enjoyed the entire story from the mystery to the characters, the setting, and the history of the town. Ms. Johnson does a marvelous job of combining the past and the present. So, I am giving Ghosts of Painting Past by Sybil Johnson five stars. I highly recommend this book as it is brilliant.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Ghosts of Painting Past by Sybil Johnson.
Anyways, until next time,
Karen the Baroness
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This book kept me hooked and was an action packed trip to Vista Beach. I enjoyed how the mystery spans multiple decades and multiple generations of Rory’s family are involved. The dynamic between the characters is enjoyable and they seem like people you’d want to be friends with.